In Michelle Zink's debut novel, orphaned twin sister Lia and Alice Milthorpe are yoked together in an ancient prophecy that makes them enemies and could destroy them both. If Lia can break this familial curse, she can not only save her relationship with her beloved boyfriend; she can finally resolve the mystery behind her parents' death.

Review:

I hadn't heard much about this book when I decided to pick it up, the only thing I knew was that my friend enjoyed it and suggested it to me. When I began reading it, I quickly learned that it was historical fantasy, the fantasy was no surprise, but the historical part was. There are very few occasions where historical fiction works for me, but unfortunately this was not one of them. I simply could not get into the rhythm of the writing and story, they were on the bland side of things in my opinion. To add to my problem, I didn't enjoy the characters at all. Alice flopped between enjoyable and and boring, nice and evil. Lia on the other hand, seemed very bland at all times to me, she never really took any big risks. Throughout this book the characters are on a path of learning about their destinies with very little conflict, setting up for the sequel as well as trying to fill the reader in on key information. The point of view is that of Lia alone, not Alice, who I wish got her story told instead of simply relying on Lia to tell the story. Overall, I was disappointed by this novel because of it's lack of the ability to grab my attention, for that reason, I give it a 2/5.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Review:
This is a book that I have been meaning to get to for quite some time. When it initially came out there were a lot of mixed reviews, you either loved it or hated it. I finally dug into when HarperTeen announced their 10 eBooks for 99 cents deal, I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally get to read it. I read it fairly quickly, but when I had finished I was very disappointed with it. To start off, there was so much slang used that it really took away from the story because not much of it was explained to the reader. Another point that was not good for the story was the lack of parents or people who were against the teenage pregnancies, only those obsessed with making money off of them were featured. The story was a little too fast, not ever really getting into the details of things or the society, not providing the reader with necessary information. The book was set in two points of view, that of Harmony and Melody, the twins the story follows. I found both to be rather indecisive and never quite sticking to their beliefs. Overall I give Bumped a 2/5 for being a book that did not hook my attention very well at all.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out. This week I chose Goddess Interupted by Aimee Carter:

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Hey everyone, I just finished my new blog layout and I would like your opinions! I tried to incorporate all of your suggestions from the blog survey; follow by email, Twitter and Goodreads Buttons, brighten up the theme, dark text on light background and a new header! I really tried to improve everything and make it more enjoyable to visit and read my site. So what do you think?

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Review:
I went into this book with a tired mind towards dystopian books. I've read a lot of them lately and I was beginning to tire of them because of similarities within many of the books. Delirium, however, restored my faith in the originality of this genre. The story was fast paced, and unique with a lot of personality. The story was not only good, but it was realistic and believable to the reader. The writing was great, it had a distinct style to it that helped portray the innocence of Lena and her unknowing attitude towards all outside of what she was taught. Lena was a great character because she was able to adapt to her situation even when she was taught the wrong morals her entire life. Alex wasn't too pushy about being in love with Lena to make her more comfortable, putting her before himself all the time. Altogether this was a great read that I would recommend to anyone who wants a great dystopian read, or who enjoyed the Hunger Games. I give Delirium a 5/5 for originality, style and for being all around awesome with a terrible/ great cliffhanger to boot.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly. Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

Review:
I won this book in a recent giveaway, I wanted to read it because I had heard many different things about it; it was very similar to the House of Night and some mixed reviews. I decided that I needed to make my mind up for myself. On the note of similarities to the House of Night, I enjoyed this book far more than any of the House of Night series. This book worked vampires into a school setting in a different way with different mechanics in the vampires that was interesting and realistic as well as good to the storyline. The writing was fairly good, nothing out of the ordinary, but it provided all the necessary information. The characters were one of my favourite aspects of this book, I found Bianca to be strong and favor-able, and of the two male leads, I found that enjoyed Balthazar more than Lucas, he seemed more trustworthy and like-able to me. Overall, I would choose this book over the House of Night because not only does it have vampires in an academy, it also has a strong heroine, I give this book a 4/5.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out. This week I chose Black Heart by Holly Black:

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review:
Recently I was lucky enough to get to attend one of the stops on the Smart Chicks Kick It 2.0 tour, getting to meet Beth Revis. I had been waiting to get my hands on her book for quite some time, so getting to meet her and get it signed was awesome. She was amazing, and her book was too. I have never really read anything Sci-Fi before, so this was an adventure out of my comfort zone. This book works dystopian and Sci-Fi together to make a combination that jives and works extremely well together. The writing was amazing, building the plot with details and personality. There was a style to the writing that was almost poetic, the text had shape at times, it was staggered to exaggerate the feelings of the narrator. The book had two narrators, alternating between that of Elder and Amy. I enjoyed both points of view equally, both were very different due to their opposite backgrounds. Amy was a strong heroine, trying to fit in, but not letting herself get pushed around. Elder was initially very obedient to orders, but as the story progressed he began to see that he had a mind of his own and he could use it to the fullest potential. The story itself progressed at a breakneck pace, there was always something happening to or around the characters, providing a net to catch the reader's attention with. The book ended on a note of suspense, leaving the reader questioning many of the things they had concluded from the story. I finished this book in two days, I found it to be hugely addictive and a great read all around, I give it a 5/5.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Well, we made it to round two! Now the challenge is to keep Meghan in the running to get her to round three. Please go vote for Meghan her at the YA Sisterhood TODAY! Let's get Meghan to the next round! If you would like to help even more, tweet using #heroinetourney and #teammeghan !

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.Review:
Often, I pick books because the cover calls to me and the summary sounds good. This book has a nice cover, but the summary was very vague, not really telling the reader anything about the book. I decided to go for it, but looking back, I really with I hadn't. It simply fell far too short of my non existent expectations. My largest problem with this book was the cheesy-ness of the witches and vampires. I found them to be too stereotypical and too flat. On the character side of things, I didn't really like Savanah or Tristan, Savanah was too self centered and dramatic for my taste and Tristan was too hot and cold in his emotions. The writing was OK, but I felt it was fairly bland and not very memorable, but it did convey all the necessary information for the book. The story was too slow for me and not very exciting pretty much all the way through, not much action occurred. Overall, I give this book a 1.5/5 for being a pretty big disappointment, in my opinion.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out. This week I chose The Calling by Kelley Armstrong:

In The Calling, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of The Gathering clamoring for more.

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. Plentiful action and romance in this second installment in the Darkness Rising series will keep readers enthralled to the very last page.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner ever since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team, but they're not really her friends. Mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her, and avoiding the popular girls who call her "Choker" after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria.

Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she has her BFF there to confide in.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect—including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

Review:
I won this book from a giveaway a long time ago and just the other day I decided it was time to get going on reading it. Wow, it only took me a short while to read this book because it really moved fast when you got into it. My only problem with this book was how short it was, it could have used a little more background detail before really getting going into the book. The characters in this book were full of surprises, creating a lot of suspense and surprise. They were able to scare you, make you feel and make you scared for them. The writing of the book was fairly good, very descriptive of the then and there, but not as much about the past and the dynamics of some of the character relationships. I enjoyed how the book title was brought into play several times, it gave the sense of full circle. In the end, I would have liked a bit more conclusive ending rather than leaving the reader hanging like it did. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes horror movies or stories or anyone who just wants to be creeped out. I give Choker a 4/5 for being a great, creepy read.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Hey everyone, since my blog has been open for over a year now, I decided that it was about time to see your opinions on it. Fill out the survey below, and after you will be given a link to an exclusive thank you giveaway of two SIGNED bookmarks.

Thank you all for your input, I hope I can better your reading experience here.

Friday, December 9, 2011

In Fateful, eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, overbearing family she works for. Once the ship they’re sailing on reaches the United States, she’ll strike out on her own. Then she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves are real and they’re stalking him—and now Tess, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

Featuring the opulent backdrop of the Titanic, Fateful’s publication is poised to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the ship’s doomed maiden voyage. It is sure to be a hit among Titanic buffs and fans of paranormal romance alike.

Review:
I have been on the fence about getting this book for quite some time now. I was hesitant because I worried about how respectfully written the book would be, but when I saw that it was in International Paperback edition at a bookstore, I decided to go for it. I have never read any of Claudia's other books though, so I had no idea what to expect. I found myself quite enjoying the book; I got wrapped up in the time and in the flow of the story, with one key exception: the end. I found the end to be too much wish fulfillment to be anywhere near believable or good for the story. I won't say anymore for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but I was not impressed with the ending at all. As for the characters, they were a little too dramatic at times, especially the family Tessa worked for. I found them often fussing over fairly insignificant things when much bigger and more important things were happening before them. The story kept moving at a fairly good pace, only at the very beginning did it ever feel too slow, but it soon got faster. Even though I knew one of the major events of the book, it did not really take away from the quality, so I give Fateful a 3.5/5 for being a mostly good read with some major flaws.

Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn’t have much going for him. He’s teased mercilessly about his weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to and wishes he still lived with his dad in the city. And now he’s stuck talking to a totally out-of-touch therapist named Liz.

Liz tries to uncover what happened that day on the playground—a day that landed one kid in the hospital and Butterball in detention. Butterball refuses to let her in on the truth, and while he evades her questions, he takes readers on a journey through the moments that made him into the playground bully he is today.

This devastating yet ultimately redemptive story is told in voice-driven prose and accented with drawings and photographs, making it a natural successor to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Loosely inspired by 50 Cent’s own adolescence, and written with his fourteen-year-old son in mind, Playground is sure to captivate wide attention— and spark intense discussion.

Review:
When I got offered a review copy of this book, I was a little skeptical about it, but I decided to give it a chance. When I actually read it, I was very pleasantly surprised about how interesting and well written the book was. In fact, I ended up reading the book in a single day because I couldn't put it down.

The cover of the book was not one of my favourite aspects of the book. My biggest complaint was that 50 Cent's name was larger than the title. I do however, like the way the colours were incorporated into the title and Butterball's sweater. The font of the title was rough, showing Butterball's past was not smooth sailing. I like how having Butterball leaning up against the words gave the reader a more accurate mental image while reading the book.

The characters of this story were surprisingly deep in characteristics. Butterball was both the the protagonist and the antagonist of this book. He went through huge amounts of growth during the period of this novel, but he started out as a bully; he was his own problem. Butterball's problems stemmed with the fact that he didn't have a good relationship with his father and he didn't have much of a creative outlet, and to add to all of it, he was forced to move from the action of the big city and his friends to a quieter area and a school with few friends. His father, who he looked up to and respected, was a very poor influence, adding to Butterball's issues. His mother was one of his only positive influences, she turned her life around and was finding happiness. Liz was Butterball's counselor and his other good influence, talking to him constantly to find out what made him tick.

Though this book was a celebrity book, which I generally stay away from, I found this one to be very insightful into the bully's mind and home life. I liked the honesty that went into the writing, how Curtis (50 Cent) was able to feed from his own past to give the story and writing life and build a stronger book. With the aid of his co-author Laura Moser, the writing was a great aspect of this novel. It carried the description needed to make the story memorable. The story was told through Butterball's point of view, but the interesting aspect was that a lot of the twists were revealed through his counseling sessions with Liz, giving another layer of depth to the importance of his growth throughout the course of the book.

Overall, I give Playground a 4/5 for being a good book with a lot of insight into it's topic matter. I would recommend this book to any fan of 50 Cent or anyone who wants a good redemption story.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

Review:
After finishing the latest Pretty Little Liars book, I decided I had to begin Sara's other series, The Lying Game. I went into the book with fairly high expectations after reading the Pretty Little Liars books, but I simply found that this book did not live up to her legacy as much as I had hoped it would. The premise was fairly good, maybe over done, but good sounding nonetheless. When the premise was brought to life by the book however, it just did not deliver. The characters were alright, I did not find them to be standouts, but they were enjoyable enough to read. The best part of the book for me was the point of view it was told in; from the point of view of the dead twin, Sutton, who watches over Emma, the live one, but cannot interact with her. It was so different from anything else I have ever read, it really added to the quality of the story. The story was slow to begin with, but as I said, the point of view added to the enjoyment. The story did pick up around halfway through, getting better and better as it went, almost a snowball effect. I would recommend this book to fans of Sara Shepard's who want a light, quick read. I give this book a 3.5/5 for being a good start to a series, one that I will be continuing in hopes of more action later on.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Okay everyone, now is our time to shine! Meghan's round is up and it's up to you guys to get her to the second round of the Heroine Tourney. Click here to vote for Meghan. Voting ends tonight, so be sure do vote soon!